Mattress and support



May 26, 1970 w. T. WAGNER v "3,513,490

MATTRESS AND SUPPORT Filed Dec. 11, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' INVENTOR. WILLIAM T. WAGNER mama,

ATTORNEY May 26, 1970 w. 1'. WAGNE'R 3,

MATTRESS AND SUPPORT v Filed Dec. 11, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEW T0,?

WILLIAM T. WAGNER A TT'ORNEY United States Patent 3,513,490 MATTRESS AND SUPPORT William T. Wagner, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Dayco Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 11, 1967, Ser. No. 689,652 Int. Cl. A47k 11/02, 19/00 US. Cl. 131 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mattress and its support in which the support also functions as a container for shipping the mattress.

This invention relates to the combination of a mattress and support in which the support consists of nested sections which may be reversed and utilized as a mattress container for shipment. While the invention is depicted herein as relating to a foam rubber mattress, it should be understood that the invention pertains to any type of mattress, including a conventional inner spring type or a urethane foam mattress. Regardless of the type of mattress which is utilized, it is contemplated herein that a mattress support be provided which serves double duty as a shipping container by means of a few simple changes.

It is, of course, quite common to provide a conventional bed which consists of a box-like frame and legs, and may or may not include head and footboards. The inventor of the present device has found a method of providing a substitute for this bed by utilizing an inexpensive material which was originally designated as the shipping container for the material. The invention is further described in the following specification and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the mattress and its relative position within the shipping container.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the container and legs as assembled.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the container and legs utilized as a support with the mattress placed thereon.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of a modified form of the invention as seen from the underside of the mattress support.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates upper and lower shipping containers 11 and 12 which are made of conventional shipping materials such as heavy cardboard, pressed fiberboard, plywood, or the like. As can be seen, these are formed in conventional box shapes so that when they are assembled they form a completed "ice container. The mattress 13 consisting of a core 15 and a cover 14 is simply placed within the box members 11 and 12 and shipped in a conventional manner.

When it is desired to use the shipping container with a mattress support the lower box portion 12 is reversed and nested within the upper box portion 11, and legs 16, which may be made of 4 by 4 wood posts, are assembled in the corners of the nested sections by means of bolts 17 and wing nuts 18. Although it is possible to predrill mounting holes in the members 11 and 12, it is preferable to form these holes upon assembly since the nature of the container would lend itself to the formation of these holes. The support is then reversed and the mattress placed on it as shown in FIG. 4. If desired, a cover fabric 19 may be placed around the nested support or container members 11 and 12 as shown in FIG. 5. This merely has the function of improving the appearance of the support if such is desired.

FIG. 6 illustrates a modified form of the invention in which eight legs 16 instead of four are utilized for additional support. At the same time, a pair of transverse braces 20 are inserted within the inner support member 12 to provide additional rigidity for the support assembly. These braces 20 may be made of plywood or similar material.

The configurations illustrated herein are merely exemplary of the invention but do not constitute the only means of carrying out this invention.

I claim:

1. In the combination of a mattress and its support, said support comprising two nested sections of such dimensions that when reversed and placed around said mattress they enclose said mattress and provide a shipping container therefor.

2. The support of claim 1 in which said sections have principal flat surfaces and end walls projecting therefrom, said surfaces being contiguous when serving as a support.

3. The support of claim 2 including support legs secured to said end walls.

4. The support of claim 2 including auxiliary braces extending laterally of and within said nested sections.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,000,681 5/1935 Weller 206-45.18 2,057,334 10/1936 Hannum 5-177 2,673,596 3/1954 Von Haase 206-46 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner A. M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 5-201; 20645.2 

